What do the like responses mean?

[HDFan]

I understand the "like", "love", "angry" post reactions.

But what do "wow", "haha" and "sad" mean?

wow - your really don't get it or that is a great comment?
Haha - you haven't got a clue or your post is funny?
sad - sad that this is the case or sad that you don't get it?

 

[coffeemilktea]

The exact meaning depends entirely on the person who reacted, so it's purely subjective and you might never know what they intended unless they explain it. 🤓

Personally, I like to pretend everyone who reacted to my posts thinks those posts are brilliant and amazing, regardless of any evidence to the contrary.

 

[NoBoMac]

Wow can also be an OMG.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Whatever those who use them think they mean.

For example, I often use the wink emoji after a post to try to convey I'm making a joke... but some don't seem to think it means that... or don't like the joke/humor.

And I interchangeably use the laughing emoji to show that I appreciate someone else's joke (funny) OR I'm laughing at someone else's post because it is- IMO- ridiculous or similar. So that's an example in which the SAME emoji has a very positive and very negative meaning depending on how one takes it and/or one posts it.

Best advice to anyone interested:

• if any bother you, ignore them. Digital "sticks & stones..."
• if you use them, your readers may or may not understand the intended meaning. If it's important to get across what you want to mean, spell it out in English (text) too. Else, be ready for interpreters to see all kinds of meanings in tiny little pictures.

All pictograph communications are often eye-of-the-beholder.

 

[KoolAid-Drink]

Whatever those who use them think they mean.

For example, I often use the wink emoji after a post to try to convey I'm making a joke... but some don't seem to think it means that... or don't like the joke/humor.

And I interchangeably use the laughing emoji to show that I appreciate someone else's joke (funny) OR I'm laughing at someone else's post because it is- IMO- ridiculous or similar. So that's an example in which the SAME emoji has a very positive and very negative meaning depending on how one takes it and/or one posts it.

Best advice to anyone interested:

• if any bother you, ignore them. Digital sticks & stones.
• if you use them, your readers may or may not understand the intended meaning. If it's important to get across what you want to mean, spell it out in English (text) too. Else, be ready for interpreters to see all kinds of meanings in tiny little pictures.

All pictograph communications are often eye-of-the-beholder.

Well said!

 

[HDFan]

Whatever those who use them think they mean.

Nicely stated.

If it's important to get across what you want to mean, spell it out in English (text) too.

Since no one ever does that they are useless and annoying. I'm not going to go back to the poster to find out what they actually meant.

Personally I would like them to go away. They just cause confusion.

 

[S.B.G]

Nicely stated.



Since no one ever does that they are useless and annoying. I'm not going to go back to the poster to find out what they actually meant.

Personally I would like them to go away. They just cause confusion.

To mitigate some of what annoys you, the alerts to the reactions can be turned off in your account preferences.

https://forums.macrumors.com/account/preferences

Do a cmd + F search on the word react and then tick off all the boxes for receiving those alerts.

 

[MBAir2010]

we need an "octopus" one......for those who over-spend on an MacBook, and glorify themselves over that!

 

[I7guy]

I understand the "like", "love", "angry" post reactions.

But what do "wow", "haha" and "sad" mean?

wow - your really don't get it or that is a great comment?
Haha - you haven't got a clue or your post is funny?
sad - sad that this is the case or sad that you don't get it?

The thing about the "haha" is that it contributes to your reaction score. So posters who use the "haha" as an alternative for "you haven't got a clue" is just elevating the post.

 

[VisceralRealist]

I understand the "like", "love", "angry" post reactions.

But what do "wow", "haha" and "sad" mean?

wow - your really don't get it or that is a great comment?
Haha - you haven't got a clue or your post is funny?
sad - sad that this is the case or sad that you don't get it?

Like = I like that you don't get it
Love = I really love the fact that you don't have a clue

 

[rm5]

I understand the "like", "love", "angry" post reactions.

But what do "wow", "haha" and "sad" mean?

wow - your really don't get it or that is a great comment?
Haha - you haven't got a clue or your post is funny?
sad - sad that this is the case or sad that you don't get it?

I interpret it as:

Wow: Surprised at something
Haha: That the post is funny (almost never use this one, personally)
Sad: That the post discusses or otherwise involves something sad. Could have a bit of overlap with the "angry" reaction

 

[annk]

When I use the laugh emoji, it's always because I like the humor in the post. I don't laugh AT people publically simply because it's not nice.

Since so many people use it to laugh at others, I'm also very careful when I use it here. I only use it when it's very clear that the user was being humorous, so it won't be misunderstood.

 

[UliBaer]

From time to time i miss a "You are a sucker, jerk, moron, cretin, etc."-response, maybe a lollypop or smth alike? 😂

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Whatever those who use them think they mean.

Unfortunately, there is considerable truth to this.

For example, I often use the wink emoji after a post to try to convey I'm making a joke... but some don't seem to think it means that... or don't like the joke/humor.

Humour is subjective.

And I interchangeably use the laughing emoji to show that I appreciate someone else's joke (funny) OR I'm laughing at someone else's post because it is- IMO- ridiculous or similar. So that's an example in which the SAME emoji has a very positive and very negative meaning depending on how one takes it and/or one posts it.

This is the emoji that I like least - or dislike most - precisely for this very reason.

Given that communication etiquette (and language) online are evolving so rapidly - in fact, this is an entirely new language, and that meaning and understanding are still fluid, in some ways - the fact that this is so ambiguous, and that the two meanings one can draw from this emoji laughing are so different and distinct - whether one laughs with, or laughs at someone - it is unfortunate that one emoji can mean two such dramatically different things.

Personally, I would like to see two separate emojis used, - or developed - whereby one can draw a clear distinction between - and where the difference is quite clear - between whether one is laughing with, or laughing at, what someone else has written.

All pictograph communications are often eye-of-the-beholder.

Very much so.

 

[ric22]

Would be very nice to scrap all the reactions in their entirety, as most are just used in a negative way, sadly.

 

[arkitect]

Would be very nice to scrap all the reactions in their entirety, as most are just used in a negative way, sadly.

I would agree…

But alas, the cat was let out the bag February 2009 when Facebook introduced the like button.

It's been a race to the bottom of excessive, meaningless feel good and snarky passive aggressiveness ever since.

I will admit that I am a frequent user of the set of responses — I try not to use them maliciously. And really, if someone comes up with a clever joke or pun, I am more than happy to "laugh" along.

🙂 (Now see? Can't help myself!)

 

[icanhazmac]

as most are just used in a negative way, sadly

While our community does have the following issues:

• Children who use "laughing face" as laughing at you not with you.
• MR forced use of the "angry face" as a way to show disagreement on member created threads.
• Snowflakes who interpret disagreement as a negative. Disagreement can yield robust debate.

I will challenge your assertion that "most" emoji are used in a negative way, I believe that to be far from the truth. The very few posts I see that have more red than other colors were really deserving of those colors and were either troll posts or were mod'd shortly after being posted. IMHO the Like and Love emoji are used far more often. As for those that abuse the obvious intent of the laughing face... they are giving their target a +1 to their reaction score and boosting that posts position in the thread, so who won? 🤔 Let fools be fools, they are easier to spot that way.

The largest problem I see is MR forcing us to use AngryFace in lieu of Disagree on user created threads. This is a very simple thing to change and would soften the tone of disagreement. I am almost never "angry" at a post, and if I am that post is generally mod'd in short order.

 

[Chuckeee]

The very few posts I see that have more red than other colors were really deserving of those colors and were either troll posts or were mod'd shortly after being posted.

Hey, the Love emoji is also red.

 

[icanhazmac]

Hey, the Love emoji is also red.

Indeed it is, oversight on my part!

 

[Wando64]

I sincerely hope that the people using the Angry reaction are not actually feeling angry.
If that was the case, there is one particular repeat offender on this site that is having a pretty miserable life.

It is an inflaming reaction to use, and particularly so when used repeatedly on each and every post one disagree with.
I said it many times before and I'll say it again, the Angry reaction should be replaced with Disagree in all forums.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I sincerely hope that the people using the Angry reaction are not actually feeling angry.
If that was the case, there is one particular repeat offender on this site that is having a pretty miserable life.

It is an inflaming reaction to use, and particularly so when used repeatedly on each and every post one disagree with.
I said it many times before and I'll say it again, the Angry reaction should be replaced with Disagree in all forums.

Well said.

I couldn't agree more with you.

 

[icanhazmac]

The largest problem I see is MR forcing us to use AngryFace in lieu of Disagree on user created threads.

I said it many times before and I'll say it again, the Angry reaction should be replaced with Disagree in all forums.

I couldn't agree more with you.

Come on MR, fix it! @arn

 

[shadowboi]

I honestly could not imagine there would be such a post😃

I usually react 🤣 when comment is really funny, rarely I use it as sarcastic laugh. Same for sad emoji, when something is literally sad, never used it sarcastically or to troll someone.

As for “Wow” I usually react with this emoji when I am actually surprised with something or at those rare “today I learned” moments.

And 😡 emoji – nope, I use it very rarely and not to disagree with someone, no matter how much I disagree, it is too pathetic for me🤣


I love that here on Macrumors we got such a big variety of different reactions. It is not like you are on reddit, youtube or other echo chambers where your opinion=trash, here we have actual discussions as should be on every forum, people can disagree here and it is not like “this means war”, more like debates or smth. And emoji reactions really add up to this forum culture since while there aren’t much of these reactions, it is more than enough for every occasion

 

[Wando64]

And 😡 emoji – nope, … it is too pathetic

I agree wholeheartedly with this statement.

I appreciate that someone might disagree with a post, but Angry?
If a post genuinely makes you angry, you should probably report it.

 

[I7guy]

I agree wholeheartedly with this statement.

I appreciate that someone might disagree with a post, but Angry?
If a post genuinely makes you angry, you should probably report it.

Why? Is my question. The angry emoji means nothing. Someone didn’t like your post. But to your point maybe there should be a daily limit on angry emojis similar to the disagree emoji.

I like there is a spectrum of emojis. I know this probably isn’t feasible but I’m going to throw it out anyway. If the total of angry emojis plus disagree emojis exceed some limit only allow the poster to “like” a post.

That would send a message and make sure negative post reactions are used sparingly.